From Lost to Found

I seriously don’t remember when it was the last time I visited any government office as I am unlike those who awake in the nick of time to the need for some official document. However, after a long time, I had no other choice but to visit NADRA & my bank for my duplicate CNIC and Debit Card. Visiting NADRA for my CNIC was much easier as it didn’t require a specific branch; I could have visited any of my choices. So, I decided to visit the Mega Center near my home. I never had imagined that NADRA would take just about no time for the entire process saving me not only from the red tape but also the inactive, fatigued and uncooperative officials whose memory is now replaced with the one made on this visit. I now had to visit my bank which was difficult for me to manage. So, I thought I should call on the helpline number and this was exactly the point where my roller coaster ride began.

First, I dialed the number; waited for almost around 2 minutes to talk to their representative but never got lucky to get connected. The very next day, I decided to visit a nearby branch, not my parent branch. A guy there listened to me and asked me to call on helpline number again. He said that due to excessive complaints, it becomes difficult to get connected to the representative. Next day, I tried in the early morning and luckily my called was picked. I told the guy I wanted a duplicate debit card. He asked me my DOB, my CNIC number and my mother’s name to make sure that it was me talking to him. He informed me that the Debit Card had been already dispatched and then gave me (TCS Consignment no: 30330847950) if I was interested to call on their helpline to know the current status of my Debit Card. I then called TCS helpline on 111-123-456. They said that upon the delivery of the card to the given address it was found that the office had been shifted due to which the card was returned to the Head Office. I again called on my bank helpline number telling them what I had been informed by TCS helpline. This time I was suggested to call my parent branch which I did without further ado in the hope of finding my card there. I thought if my card hadn’t been returned to my parent branch, I would at least request them to inform me upon its getting back from the Head Office, as in such cases when the delivery is returned due to some issue, it goes to the Head office, stays there for about 3-4 days and then returned to the parent branch.

Now, I was done with helpline numbers. This time, I knew I would be entertained in much less time. Luckily, my call was picked and after I told the guy from A to Z, he said what I had been waiting for kind of all my life. He said, “Sir, your Debit Card is here, you can collect it at any time you want”. I asked him if I could collect it the same day in between 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM. When he replied that I could do that. I decided to collect it utilizing my lunch break. Reaching there, I at the reception asked the guy that I was there to receive my duplicate Debit Card. He asked me to go to one of the counters, pointing his finger. The guy at the counter seemed already caught up. Just then, I realized it was not his counter, he was filling in. He asked me my account number with my Original CNIC. I gave him the colored copy as I had already lost the original. The guy pulled his face long, but as I had already been made to wait, he didn’t have enough courage to not entertain me with the colored copy. Secondly, I guess it was my own Debit Card and I myself was there to collect it was a valid enough reason or else he wouldn’t have approved. I waited at the counter for almost 10 minutes. Suddenly, I remembered that I had a piece of paper in my chest pocked having the DHA office address that I wanted to be in the bank record as my new mailing address. I went to the receptionist who asked to come to him after having my biometrics verified from another counter he pointed at.

I went to this person who asked me to sit with a hand gesture as he was busy talking on his cell phone. After a minute or so, when he rang off, I asked him for the biometrics. He took it and then again I went back to the same counter. The person asked me apologetically to wait a little more and then burnt me up asking to get a printout of the biometrics. I again came back to the counter where I had given my biometrics. I asked for the printout, but this time the guy wasn’t on the phone but busy with a lady talking who I guess was someone from the staff. I requested him for the printout; he stood up because I couldn’t see any printer anywhere near. He walked to the back room, came out after about 2 minutes. I then took this printout to the receptionist who asked me to go to the first counter for verification. I went there again, got it verified and handed it over to the receptionist. After this, I went back to the first counter, stood there. In the meantime, the guy asked me to put my signature on the same printout and then finally handed over to me an envelope which I was sure had my Duplicate Debit Card. I was so sick and tired of this red tape that I didn’t bother to ask this guy if the envelope had my Duplicate Debit Card. As I started walking to the exit, the receptionist came to me saying it would take three working days for the up-gradation of the new address I had requested for. I was already pretty late; I just nodded and walked out of the bank.